Choosing an intermediary to resolve the copyright issue
July 1, 2026, the time when the new music copyright fee will be applied, many coffee shop owners in Hanoi said that there are still many concerns about the fee calculation method, scope of application and collection process.
Meanwhile, some chain stores have proactively used third-party services to solve copyright issues.
Mr. Minh Toan - owner of a chain of coffee shops in the Yen Hoa area (Hanoi) - said that his unit had prepared in advance, so operations were not disrupted.
I am not too knowledgeable about music copyright issues, so we currently have a legal department in charge of this. In my opinion, in addition to paying copyright fees, coffee shops can consider using AI music or not playing music at the shop as alternative solutions," Mr. Toan said.
According to the introduction of Mr. Minh Toan, reporters contacted the representative of the legal department of this coffee chain, Mr. Hoang Phuc.
Mr. Phuc said that the enterprise currently does not work directly with the Vietnam Center for Protection of Music Copyright (VCPMC) but chooses to use the services of an intermediary unit.
Currently, our side is using the services of an intermediary. We pay fees to this unit and they will work on behalf of VCPMC as well as issues related to copyright," Mr. Phuc said.
According to Mr. Phuc, previously the business used to work directly with VCPMC but realized that the cost level was not really suitable for the business model, so it switched to using third-party services.
In fact, having an intermediary unit to support helps businesses save time and be more convenient in the process of handling copyright-related procedures," he said.
Can AI music replace it?
Regarding the opinion that coffee shops may switch to using music created by AI to reduce copyright costs, Mr. Hoang Phuc said that this is not feasible at the present time.
If they produce music themselves, businesses must also have resources to implement it.
Meanwhile, customers still have a need to listen to familiar songs on the market. AI music or self-produced music is mainly suitable for building brand identity but cannot completely replace commercial music," Mr. Phuc said.
The legal representative of the coffee chain also frankly admitted that the business only signed a contract from April 2026. Up to now, when the new collection level began, the business has not yet received notification of the new fee level from a third party.
Our store just signed a copyright contract in April, so we have not yet seen a notice of price adjustment. We are still continuing to monitor changes in the coming time," Mr. Phuc said.
Still many concerns
Contrary to chain stores that have had handling plans, many small-scale coffee shops are still quite confused on the first day of applying the new collection rate.
Mr. Cao Quang Duong, owner of a coffee shop in Cau Giay (Hanoi), said that as of the morning of July 1, he had not received any notice or specific instructions on increasing music copyright fees for coffee shops and restaurants.
I have a small business, so I don't really fully understand the music copyright regulations. What I'm concerned about is how they will determine which songs I will release, which songs are copyrighted, which are not, and who will be the unit directly collecting fees.
And if you play international music, do you have to pay copyright fees or not? Who collects Vietnamese music and who collects international music?", Mr. Duong asked a series of questions.
According to Mr. Duong, currently many small shop owners also share the same psychology of worrying due to lack of official information.
I have not seen anyone contacting or giving specific instructions, so I am still learning more. If there are clear regulations, I will implement them, but I also hope the fee level is suitable for the capacity of small businesses," he said.
Similarly, Ms. Hai Yen, owner of a coffee shop in Thanh Xuan (Hanoi), said that she is also following new information before making a decision.
If there is an intermediary unit providing full support in terms of procedures and reasonable costs, that will be the option I consider. The most important thing is that the regulations need to be transparent so that small businesses like us know how to implement them," Ms. Yen shared.
